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'If we want a team it’s up to us to buy the tickets,' Hedican Video

Mayor Al McDonald with assistance from community committee member Deb Marson purchases his OHL season tickets at www.bringohlhome.com/tickets website.

Hockey fans and community leaders packed the foyer of Memorial Gardens Thursday afternoon to officially kick off the next and most important phase to bring an OHL team home.

In order to secure the Brampton Battalion move to North Bay, Battalion owner Scott Abbott requires a commitment of 2,000 season tickets sold for a minimum three-year period. That and the blessing of the OHL board of governors.

Today Mayor Al McDonald supported by city council and 20 community leaders that includes former OHL coach Tom Hedican stepped forward forming a Committee to spearhead Season Ticket Sales.

The first order of business for the committee is to get tickets into the hands of hockey fans so the committee launched the www.bringohlhome.com/tickets website for online sales. If going online is not your choice to make a purchase tickets are available for sale at Memorial Gardens Box Office, North Bay City Hall – Parks & Recreation Department and the North Bay and District Chamber of Commerce.

Hedican says the city laid the ground work for the team to move to the Bay and now it is up to the community to seal the deal.

“If we want a team it’s up to us to buy the tickets," states Hedican.

"And I have no doubt we’ll do it.”

Former North Bay Centennial and long-time NHLer Bill Houlder says the city lost a part of its identity when the Centennials moved to Saginaw.

“The opportunity to have junior hockey come back to us and being played right in our own community I think is huge and I’m looking forward to supporting it.”

“I think this is a real commodity, like having major junior hockey in North Bay and I don’t think we get very often in life get second chances and this is our second chance,” says Houlder.

“I was pessimistic but I never really thought that we would get the opportunity to bring major junior hockey back into town – here it is now it’s up to us and I just think we need to embrace this it’s outstanding.”

At this moment the committee folks can a make a deposit of a $100 for each season ticket as their commitment. Committee members say making a deposit now for season tickets gives purchasers a better chance to select the seat they would like for the season.

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